In Rita Charon's account of narrative medicine, empathy seems to be an essential element of the clinical relationship. However, empathy has not received much attention, which I believe is problematic. First, I show that not only is there no clear definition of what empathy is, but that this conceptual gap creates ambiguity about its role in the practice of narrative medicine. Second, I argue that certain passages in Charon's work seem to implicitly characterize empathy as a combination of cognitive empathy, (...) affective empathy, and sympathy, and that its inclusion in the practice of narrative medicine can be problematic. Third, following Dan Zahavi, I argue that a phenomenological account of empathy not only seems most compatible with the practices, values, and theoretical framework of narrative medicine, but is also capable of resolving the problems posed by alternative definitions of empathy and the ambiguity about the role of empathy in narrative medicine. (shrink)

Delusions are usually depicted in one of two contrasting ways. They are either characterized as harmful and dysfunctional beliefs or as fostering engagement with the environment and sometimes even psychological wellbeing in the face of psychological or biological difficulties – something which, according to some accounts, would make them biologically adaptive. It is this “adaptive hypothesis” that I focus on in this paper, by empirically investigating the adaptiveness of delusions in a sample of people suffering from OCD. The paper shows (...) that delusions in OCD entertain complex and heterogeneous relationships with psychological wellbeing and engagement with the environment, highlighting some future directions that clinical and philosophical research on the topic should take. (shrink)

Empathizing with others is thought to be a useful, if not necessary, skill for a wise person to possess. Beyond this general conceptual assonance, however, there have been few systematic attempts to conceptualize this relationship. This paper aims to address this issue by investigating what role empathy is said to play in phronesis and whether there is a legitimate place for it in Aristotelian (or neo-Aristotelian) accounts of practical wisdom. First, after a brief overview of Aristotle’s account of phronesis, I (...) will try to define three different ways in which empathy is thought to contribute to it according to the existing literature, based on a conceptual distinction between affective empathy, cognitive empathy, and sympathy. Second, I will ask whether empathy is the best conceptual candidate for Aristotle’s account of phronesis and, more generally, whether the wise person should always rely on empathy in order to deliberate and act well. My tentative answer will be that empathy does not seem to be perfectly compatible with the concept of phronesis, nor is it its best ally. (shrink)

Delusions are usually considered as harmful and dysfunctional beliefs, one of the primary symptoms of a psychiatric illness and the mark of madness in popular culture. However, in recent times a much more positive role has been advocated for delusions. More specifically, it has been argued that delusions might be an answer to a problem rather than problems in themselves. By delivering psychological and epistemic benefits, delusions would allow people who face severe biological or psychological difficulties to survive in their (...) environment - although this has obvious epistemic costs, as the delusion is fixed and irresponsive to compelling counterevidence. In other words, it has been argued that delusions are biologically adaptive. The adaptiveness of delusions has been compared by Ryan McKay and Daniel Dennett to a shear pin, a mechanism installed in the drive engine of some machines which is designed to shear whenever the machine is about to break down. By breaking, shear pins prevent the machine from collapsing and allow it to keep functioning, although in an impaired manner. Similarly, when delusions form, they would allow a cognitive or psychological system which is about to collapse to continue its functioning, although in an impaired manner. However, this optimistic picture of delusions risks being undermined by both theoretical and empirical considerations. Using Sarah Fineberg and Philip Corlett’s recent predictive coding account as a paradigmatic model of the biological adaptiveness of delusions, I develop two objections to it: principles of parsimony and simplicity suggest that maladaptive models of delusions have an upper hand over adaptive models; and the available empirical evidence suggests that at least some delusions stand good chances of being psychologically adaptive, but it is unlikely that they also qualify as biologically adaptive. (shrink)

The rapid changes that syphilis underwent after the first major outbreak that occurred in Naples in the mid-1490s are believed to constitute the first well-documented example of a human disease. The new plague was of exceptional virulence, highly contagious and causing severe ulceration at the site of infection. According to medical and other historical sources, the ‘genius epidemics’ changed some years after this onset, and a slower-progressing form of syphilis seems to have replaced the initial severe form, as do many (...) virulent epidemic infectious diseases that appear in devastating forms in a previously uninfected population. But what exactly were the features of the disease at the moment of its appearance in Europe at the end of the fifteenth century? How many years did it take for the early, virulent form to be replaced and become endemic? What was the pace of these changes through the decades following the onset of the epidemic? In this essay, I review these issues through an analysis of a large number of chronologically-ordered primary historical sources. (shrink)

The article attempts to describe adonization, a specific tactic for exerting influence which employs physical attraction, as well as its determinants. The article presents a proprietary model of determinants and motivational mechanisms which constitute the basis of the attitude toward adonization. A cycle of 3 studies on individual determinants for the attitude toward adonization was described. Results of study 1 confirmed that male gender, psychological masculinity, narcissism, Machiavellianism and high self-monitoring were correlates of a positive attitude toward adonization. Study 2 (...) showed that extraversion was the predictor of a positive attitude toward adonization of men and women and that agreeableness was the predictor of a less positive attitude of women. In Study 3 it was established that there were no differences in the attitude toward adonization in young and middle-aged men. Comparison among young and middle-aged women proved that younger women had a more positive attitude toward adonization in the cognitive and in the affective components than older women. (shrink)

I argue that work in medical ethics which attempts to humanize medicine without examining hidden assumptions (about medicine's ontology, explanations, goals, relationships) has the dehumanizing effect of legitimating practices which treat persons as abstractions. After illustrating the need to reexamine the field of medical ethics and the doctor-patient relationship in particular, I use Foucault's work to provide a social, historical framework for discussion. This background begins to demonstrate that doctor-patient relationships cannot be made satisfactory by new hospital policies or interpersonal (...) skills, but have deep-rooted problems due to medicine's place in social history. Real progress requires social or structural change. (shrink)

_The implementation of the German energy transition is unclearly framed. The future of the transition depends on more than just technological development or economic feasibility. Rather, a positive attitude and an understanding by the general public are critical to its success. Therefore, communicating the complex, polarized and long-term process in an objective way is essential. We show that despite the alleged clarity of goals, German stakeholders have very diverse reasons for their support of the energy transition. One key reason mentioned (...) is climate protection. Another important goal is the desired independence from energy imports. This diversity is at the heart of the communication challenges. We see a wide variety of goals triggering trade-offs and challenges in understanding the process. Therefore, we suggest an infographic as an approach to communicating the energy transition to the general public with a focus on goals and related future challenges of the transition. We conclude that communication tools should promote an inclusive discussion and debate regarding the goals and challenges of a process, such as the energy transition, to help answer the question: How do we want to live in the future?_ _Keywords_: climate change, energy transition, communication, framing, media. (shrink)

In his notable account of lying in the _Doctrine of Virtue_, Kant draws a parallel between self-deception and external lying, and argues that the agent who lies throws away her personality and dignity. Challenged by many commentators, this explanatory strategy may suggest that Kant's prohibition of deception would be motivated by a contentious teleological principle. In my account, I reject this suggestion and further show that this parallel can help us better understand the nature of self-deception. By borrowing elements from (...) outside of Kant's treatment of self-deception in the _Doctrine of Virtue_, this paper aims to offer an account of Kant's strong condemnation of self-deception, while showing that what is at stake in cases of deception goes far beyond teleological principles. I contend that taking seriously the parallel between lying and self-deception is crucial for avoiding the trap of falling into teleological claims and that, in contrast to what some commentators suggest, the parallel is key to understanding self-deception. (shrink)

In this pa per we probe the eth i cal re sponse of Emmanel Lévinas from the per spec tive of spe - cific suf fer ing that so cial re la tions im pose on the ma jor ity of hu man ity. We an a lyze the el e ments of his ethic which al lows us to “read” the in jus - tices and dis-equal i ties that..

Artists, political scientists and art historians share with other professionals the challenge of apprehending and comprehending the complexity of the realities they address in their work. The co‐authors of our article coincide in the prominence they give to disturbing indexical signs (i.e., indications and traces of trauma and normalization in people, in political processes and works of art), as keys of interpretation and problematizing at the basis of their art works, their social work and their historic and political research. They (...) address the challenges and questions they face when interacting with the multiple dimensions inherent to the complex human behaviours, theoretical concepts and artistic statements on which they focus. Finally, they discuss possible aesthetic, ethical and philosophical implications of their proposals and perspectives. (shrink)

Revisión del libro En la cresta de la ola. Debates y definiciones en torno a la historia del tiempo presente por E. Allier Montaño, C. I. Vilchis Ortega y C. V. Ovalle (coord.).

El siguiente artículo es parte de una investigación incipiente que se propone abordar las diversas formas de control policial y militar en la acción política llevada adelante por los trabajadores ferroviarios de la ciudad bonaerense de Junín, durante la gestión de Frondizi (1958-1962). Esta instancia del trabajo pretende aproximarse a las particularidades de las violencias de Estado en una escala territorial en diálogo con el contexto nacional. A partir del estudio de distintas fuentes documentales que comprenden a legajos de la (...) Dirección de Inteligencia de la policía de la provincia de Buenos Aires (DIPPBA) y diarios locales, se intenta poner en relieve cómo fueron los mecanismos de la inteligencia provincial implementados frente a las luchas de los obreros ferroviarios de Junín. (shrink)

The purpose of the article is to reveal the scientific approach that substantiates the impact of the creation of strategic alliances (SA) on the digital transformation of business and the development of their innovative power based on identified success factors. The aim was achieved using the following methods: abstract logic and typification (for classification of SA's success factors), generalization (to determine the peculiarities of SA's influence on their innovation development), analytical and ranking method (to determine the relationship between the dynamics (...) creating of SA and the degree of acceleration of digital transformation), expert evaluation (to determine the degree of influence of SA success factors by business areas). Implementing a business-integrated approach to understanding digital transformation will accelerate implementation of innovation and organizational change, identifies future prospects for market, customer and business relationships, highlighting the importance of researching the factors that ensure their success. An alternative vision of SA’s success factors is suggested, which are determined by the possibilities the organization of partnerships and organizational culture, integration of business sectors, compatibility of management goals, external relevance, obtaining synergies. Innovation is considered by the authors as an integration factor that reconciles all groups of SA success factors, giving them the necessary focus to solve business problems. The results of the study show that the creation of SA has a significant impact on accelerating and changes priority of digital transformation of business areas involved in strategic partnerships, and the impact of SA on the development of their innovation power is crucial. (shrink)

Our concept of disorder is changing. This causes problems for projects of descriptive conceptual analysis. Conceptual change means that a criterion that was necessary for a condition to be a disorder at one time may cease to be necessary a relatively short time later. Nevertheless, some conceptually based claims will be fairly robust. In particular, the claim that no adequate account of disorder can appeal only to biological facts can be maintained for the foreseeable future. This is because our current (...) concept of disorder continues to be laden with ethical and political values in multiple ways. (shrink)

Este artigo propõe-se a expor as reflexões de dois filósofos contemporâneos, quais sejam, Michel Foucault e Giorgio Agamben, de modo a promover um paralelo,ou mesmo uma analogia, entre duas noções que permeiam as obras dos respectivos autores. Estas noções consistem no que Foucault chamou de Racismo de Estado, e no que Agamben nomeou de Tanatopolítica. O contexto, e tambémo objeto, no qual se efetiva este intento é, em uma palavra, a política totalitária do Estado nazista.Ambos os autores compreendem os fenômenos (...) totalitários a partir do ponto de vista da biopolítica, entretanto, ao tratar do Estado Nacional-socialista, Foucault identifica nele um paradoxo, sem, contudo desenvolver com maior profundidade a imbricação que ali se deu. Agamben, por sua vez, concebe semelhante paradoxo como pertencendo a uma forma de fazer política que já traz, desde a sua origem, os fundamentos que permitiram a emergência do fenômeno da forma como surgiu e que fora identificada pelos ditos autores, ou seja, trazendo em si tanto elementos antigos, como a glória e os ideais de sangue, quanto modernos, como a eugenia. A pesquisa bibliográfica que aqui se desenvolveu deu-se na leitura de, basicamente, três obras dos supraditos autores, quais sejam, Em defesa da sociedade, História da sexualidade I – A vontade de saber, de um lado, e Homo sacer – O poder soberano e a vida nua I, de outro. (shrink)

Sellected collection of tantric canonical texts of the Nyingma order on Rdzogs-chen philosophy.

Muhyiddin ibn Arabî, İslam'daki tartışmasız en etkili sufi teorisyendir. Kalıcı şekilde en popüler çalışması olan Fusûsül-hikem'de, Kur'an'da bir peygamber hakkında algımız ne olursa olsun, onunla ilişkilendirilen ve ondan türetilen hikmetin çok farklı olduğunu açıkça ve ısrarla göstermektedir. Bu, İbn Arabî'nin Kur'an'ın literal metnini inkar ettiği anlamına gelmez. Tam tersine, O sadece Kur'an'ı farklı algılama ve alımlama düzeylerinin olduğunu iddia eder: Kur'an'ın dış gerçekliği (zâhir) kitlesel tüketim içindir ve İbn Arabî'ye göre kişinin Kur'an'ın yüzeysel bir anlayışından elde ettiği bilgidir. Bununla birlikte, (...) Kuran'ın, ariflerin (arifûn) korumasında olan daha derin bir anlayışı vardır. İbn Arabî, dış gerçeğin ötesine geçen, ancak ona (dış gerçekliğe) ayrılmaz bir şekilde bağlı olan Kur’an’ı bu şekilde okumasıyla, Kur'an'ın tasavvufi tefsir geleneğini kendi tarzında sürdürür ve birincil amacını Fusûs’un her bölümünde uygular: Her ikisinin de meşruiyetini korurken, Kur'an'ın zâhir ve bâṭını arasındaki antitezi vurgulamak ve hatta bâṭına ancak ẓâhir yoluyla erişilebileceğini iddia edecek kadar ileri gitmek. Bu makale, bu karşılıklı bağımlı bilgi ('ilm)/hikmet (hikma) antitezinin en açık örneklerini bulduğumuz ve belirli nedenlerle seçilmiş Fusûs'un dört bölümünü detaylı şekilde incelemektedir: Adem bölümü, Fusûs'un ilk bölümü olduğu için seçilmiştir ve bu bölümde İbn Arabî'nin eserin tamamına yönelik amacı ve yaklaşımı net şekilde belirginleşir. Lût ve Hârûn bölümleri, Endülüs'ün ikili hermenötik ilkesinin en bariz örneklerini oluşturdukları için seçilmiştir. Son olarak, İbn Arabî metnin tahiriyle çelişiyor gibi görünse bile, aslında birincil zahiri modele dayanan daha gelişmiş bir yorum modelini açıkladığı için Nûh bölümü seçilmiştir. Âdem bölümünde İbn Arabi, Adem ile ilişkilendirilen en tutarlı Kur'anî betimlemenin insanlığın babası olduğu için onun insanlığının olduğunu öne sürer. Oysa onun hikmeti ilahi vasfıdır. Bunun nedeni, İlahi en katıksız ve tam ifadesini ancak insanda bulabilmesidir. Diğer taraftan, Nuh'un Kuranî sembolü ise kavminin büyük çoğunluğunun boğulduğu tufandır. Sufî’ye göre (İbn Arabî) onun hikmeti, şeyleri yüzdürmesidir- subbūḥiyya/sebūḥiyya hikmeti. İbn Arabî için boğulma bir ölüm nedeni olmaktan çok bir yaşam kaynağı olmuştur. Lut'un Kur'an'daki en kalıcı imgesi, kavminin günahını dizginlemedeki yetersizliğinden dolayı güçsüzlüğüdür. İbn Arabî, ama yine de onun hikmetinin güç olduğunu söylüyor. Son olarak, Hârûn, Kuran'da Mûsâ'ya itaat eden biri olarak tasvir edilir. Kardeşine yardım etmesi, yükünü taşımasına yardım etmesi için kendisine peygamberlik verildi. Mûsâ, Sina'ya gidip onu sorumlu bıraktığında bile, o sadece Mûsâ'nın yardımcısı rolünü yerine getirir ve ona tabidir. Oysa onun hikmeti itaatin, liderliğin antitezidir. (shrink)

Le "livre-testament" de Jean-François Mattéi, préfacé par Raphaël Enthoven, qui défendra dans les médias la mémoire de son professeur et ami.

Des présocratiques à Plotin en passant par Socrate, Platon, Aristote, Epicure et les stoïciens, Jean-François Mattéi nous convie à un voyage initiatique dans la philosophie antique. C'est à cette source que la raison occidentale se nourrit depuis des siècles. On y assiste à la naissance de la philosophie, de la physique, des mathématiques, de la politique : éblouissant feu d'artifice de la pensée comme l'histoire en a peu connu depuis lors, et qui continue de résonner dans les débats d'aujourd'hui. En (...) fin pédagogue, Jean-François Mattéi construit des ponts entre hier et maintenant, fidèle à la formule qui fait le succès de la série "Une histoire personnelle de...". (shrink)

Qu'est-ce que la fameuse caverne de Platon si ce n'est la plus grande chambre noire que l'on ait jamais réalisée? Reprenant cette intuition de Paul Valéry, Jean-François Mattéi procède à une relecture magistrale des grands dialogues de Platon, de La République au Timée, pour y découvrir la matrice de notre monde, un monde envahi par les images et les simulacres. Du cinéma aux jeux vidéo en passant par Internet, le cyberespace et les téléphones portables, nouvelles "cavernes personnelles ", les images (...) ont en effet pris le pouvoir. Censées initialement représenter le réel, elles se sont mises à le simuler, à le dupliquer, voire à l'absorber pour faire surgir une nouvelle dimension, celle du virtuel. Matrix, Avatar, World of Warcraft, Toy Story, la 3D, sont le vecteur de cette révolution. Pour la plupart des philosophes, la victoire des simulacres constitue un renversement sans précédent du rapport entre image et réalité, institué il a 2500 ans par Platon. Les images ne seraient plus le miroir d'une réalité intelligible qui leur confère consistance, mais de purs simulacres sans aucun rapport avec le réel. En croisant la lecture minutieuse de Platon avec une plongée passionnante dans les processus les plus contemporains de modélisation des images, cet essai démontre qu'il n'en est rien. Loin d'être autonomes, les phénomènes de simulation proviennent de procédés rationnels qui projettent leur intelligibilité dans le sensible. Et ces procédés artificiels redoublent l'opération première, advenue dans la nuit des temps, au cours de laquelle le monde fut structuré grâce à des modèles intelligibles qui se sont inscrits en lui. (shrink)

The paper presents a pioneering approach to assessing the effectiveness of innovation processes in logistics. Indicators and the procedure of evaluating the efficiency of innovation processes in enterprise logistic activity are described. Possibilities of applying this approach are suggested.

İngilizler, Oryantalizm alanında önemli çalışmalar ortaya koymuşlardır. Geçmişte İngilizler ilk dönemlerinden itibaren İslamiyet hususunda bilgi birikimleri üst seviyelere ulaştığı halde, Şiîlik çalışmaları işin içine dâhil olduğunda daha geç tarihlere rast gelmiştir. İngilizlerin Şiilik alanında çalışmalarının hayata geçmesiyle ilginç hususiyetler kendini göstermiştir. Bilgi-siyaset, siyaset-bilgi denklemleri İngilizlerin Orta Doğu coğrafyasındaki etki ve icraatlarında değişmeyen hareket noktası olmuştur. Safevîler döneminden başlayarak, Dünya savaşları sürecinde saha hâkimiyetlerinin arka planında yüksek bilgi birikimi kendini göstermiştir. Ortadoğu bugün bile bu etkiden hala kurtulamamıştır. Çalışmamızın ana ekseni olan (...) İngiliz erken dönem Şiilik çalışmalarının genelinde göze çarpan hususları arz ettikten sonra bu alanda zirveye noktaya ulaşmış İngiliz Araştırmacı Thomas Herbert’i incelemeye çalıştık. Herbert, dönemin Şia düşüncesini, sokakta yaşayan hayatını ve bizzat kendi gözlemlerinden aktarması bakımından oldukça benzersizdir. Bize aktarmış olduğu bazı adetler ve davranışlar bugün mevcut olmaması bakımından tarihi belge niteliğindedir. (shrink)